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Discovery Launches on First Attempt at KSC

April 5, 2010 -- Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off just before dawn this morning from the Kennedy Space Center. The on-time launch sets the stage for a busy thirteen-day mission, and it takes NASA one step closer to the end of the shuttle program.

Discovery lit up the sky at 6:21am, just as the sun’s first glow was starting to appear on the horizon beyond the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center.  The sky was so clear that the International Space Station was visible as it passed over the launch site about fifteen minutes before Discovery’s liftoff.

Shuttle mission manager Mike Moses says a few pieces of foam fell off the external fuel tank about four minutes into the flight and after the point of greatest danger.

“[That’s] where the energy of a foam loss, if it hit the shuttle, would cause damage,” he said, “so at four minutes that’s not a problem.  And the sizes were pretty small.”

Officials will be studying images of the launch to make sure there’s no reason for concern.

Discovery is scheduled to reach the International Space Station on Wednesday.  When it arrives, it will be the first time four women will be on the orbiter at once.  The shuttle is carrying three female astronauts, and another arrived at the station on a Russian Soyuz capsule over the weekend.

Only three more launches remain before the shuttle fleet is scheduled to be retired later this year. NASA’s Mike Moses admits it’s ironic the program is shutting down, just as it seems to be hitting its stride.

“While it is painful and sad to shut down the one program that’s flying,” he said, “you need to do it so you can build the next program to continue on.  So from that standpoint, it’s bittersweet.  It’s tough to set it down, but I can’t wait for the next thing to come along.”

Right now it’s unclear what that “next thing” will be.  President Obama wants to cancel the Constellation program, which was supposed to replace the shuttle as NASA’s focus for manned spaceflight.

Mr. Obama is expected to visit the Space Coast next week to explain his vision for NASA.

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